A tropical plant that is closely related to zucchini, squash, pumpkin, and cucumber is bitter melon which is also referred to as bitter gourd or Momordica charantia.
It is grown for its edible fruit, which is a common ingredient in many kinds of Asian cooking.
Vitamins A and C as well as other nutrients are abundant in bitter melon. It has ingredients that could be good for your health.
Let explore the health benefits that this tropical plant has to offer and why you should consume it often.
Controls Diabetes
Numerous preclinical research supports the bitter gourd’s ability to treat diabetes. It lowers blood sugar via regulating glucose metabolism.
It increases the utilisation of glucose in the muscles and reduces its absorption in the intestines. The bitter gourd extracts shield the pancreatic cells against substances and pro-inflammatory cells.
There is evidence that bitter gourd fruit pulp, seeds, and whole plant extracts have an insulin-like hypoglycemic effect. Bitter gourd’s saponins, alkaloids, and polyphenols boost insulin tolerance, increase glucose absorption, and regulate blood sugar levels.
Has possibility of anti-cancer effects
According to Healthline the bitter melon contains certain compounds with cancer-fighting properties.
One earlier test-tube study, for instance, demonstrated that bitter melon extract was successful at eliminating cancer cells from the stomach, colon, lung, and nasopharynx, the region behind the nose at the back of your throat.
Similar results were reported by a second combined test-tube and animal investigation, which found that bitter melon extract might inhibit the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells while simultaneously encouraging cancer cell death.
Keep in mind that these tests were conducted on isolated cells in a lab using strong doses of bitter melon extract.
The effects of consuming bitter melon in the typical proportions seen in meals on cancer growth and development in humans require more investigation.
Aids Weight Loss
Bitter melon affects lipid metabolism in addition to glucose metabolism. Studies have shown that it has an anti-obesity impact via reducing fat buildup.
Rats’ reactions to high-fat food were lessened by including bitter gourd in their diets. It was discovered that the fruit could stop weight growth by changing the expression of the related genes.
Another recent study contends that bitter melon seed oil may reduce body fat stores by specifically destroying adipocytes, which are cells that store fat. This is due to the presence of active chemicals such triterpenoid glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, and fatty acids that stop adipose tissue from inflaming, which is frequently associated with metabolic disease.
Helps treat skin conditions
This member of the squash family is very effective at reducing inflammation. It can heal wounds and sores as well as eczema, rashes, leprosy, psoriasis, and other skin diseases. The bitter gourd plant’s paste is applied externally to blisters and wounds by native African and Asian tribes.
Studies on rabbits showed how bitter melon extract-infused skin lotions affected wounds. The wound healing process was sped up and improved in the rabbits who received this cream.
The fruit’s peel offers the best chance of preventing skin cancer. Studies on cancer discovered that bitter gourd extracts increased mice’s lifespan and quality of life.
